Apparatus for packaging fishes in cans

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for packaging items, for example herring, sardines or similar fishes in cans, is provided. The fish are conveyed at continuous speed lying on a conveyor with a predetermined longitudinal and transversal orientation. The foremost fish on the conveyor is moved while maintaining its orientation to a first compartment in a line of compartments adjacent the path of the conveyor. The next following fish on the conveyor is moved correspondingly to the next following compartment in the line, until the number of fishes in the compartments equals the number of fishes to be canned in one can. The line of compartments is then shifted away from the conveyor to a can, while the fishes are turned around their longitudinal axis within the compartments to a predefined position. Finally, the fishes are pressed out of the compartments and into the can.

What we claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for packaging fish in cans comprising: conveyor means for conveying fish at a substantially continuous speed wherein each fish is positioned on the conveyor means with a predetermined longitudinal and transverse orientation;   a vertical shaft cooperating with said conveyor means; and   at least two matrix means for delivering said fish from said conveyor means to said cans, each of said matrix means connected to said vertical shaft and comprising a plurality of adjacent compartments wherein any two adjacent compartments are separated by a side wall, and wherein each of said matrix means are spaced at an equal angular distance around said vertical shaft;   said conveyor means cooperating with said vertical shaft such that said conveyor means conveys fish at a substantially continuous speed to one of said matrix means, whereby said vertical shaft rotates said matrix means in increments, said vertical shaft rotating one increment after a predetermined number of fish are delivered by the conveyor means to one of said matrix means.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side walls of the compartments can be moved towards each other from an outer position, against the action of spring means. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the compartments is provided with a bottom floor which can be folded downward from a substantially horizontal plane. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side walls in those compartments which form the matrix means are mounted on two parallel guide shafts and pressed apart by means of spring means which are mounted upon the shafts between the respective adjacent side walls. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a first guide cam is rigidly mounted at a journal point of the vertical shaft and arranged for cooperation with cam following means, for sideways displacement of the compartment side walls along the guide shafts. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the compartments is provided with a bottom floor which can be folded downward from a substantially horizontal plane, and wherein the apparatus includes a second guide cam for controlling the bottom floors of the compartments. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein four matrix means are connected to the vertical shaft, the vertical shaft rotating the matrix means in increments of 90°. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for conveying said cans to said matrix means such that one of said cans is conveyed by said means for conveying said cans in a position to receive said predetermined number of fish from said matrix means after said matrix means has been rotated at least one increment away from said conveyor means.